A variety of fiber optic connectors is known. For example, Gerace et al., U.S. patent application 450,330, filed Dec. 13, 1989, still pending relates to a threaded type of connector having a shell encircling a spring biased holder for the optical fiber. Strength members of the fiber cable are anchored to the shell, permitting the combination of the holder and optical fiber to be reciprocatable with respect to the shell. Further included may be an alignment ferrule and a sheath to facilitate injection of an adhesive during bonding of the fiber. This threaded type of connector may be utilizable as part of a push-pull type of connector such as that disclosed in Mulholland et al., U.S. patent application 491,755, filed Mar. 9, 1990, still pending.
Another fiber optic connector is the bayonet type exemplified by Abendschein et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,487. This connector includes an alignment ferrule, a collar surrounding the ferrule, and a coupling nut moveable axially over the ferrule whereby the collar may be retracted to compress a spring.
It would be advantageous to intermate these various types of connectors, one to the other. An object of the present invention is to provide a coupling body which permits threaded types of connectors to be coupled, one to the other, or the connection of a threaded connector to a bayonet type connector, or a bayonet type connector to another bayonet type connector, or permits the interconnection of push-pull type connectors or the connection of a push-pull type connector with threaded type or bayonet type. A particular aspect of the present invention is a keying feature which permits polarized intermating between two of many different types of optical fiber connectors.